The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-12-14

to supply from tsIa earnings, and that the
price OF the necessaries of life as well Is
the amount OF their wages, VIII regulate the
measure of their welfare and comfort Bat
the reduction OF taxation deinanied should
be so measured aSaiot 20 necezsitate or jus
tify the loss Of employment by the working
man, nor lessen his wages, the profits stu
remaining to ttsoSSssanufRcture.r after a
necessary readtustment should furnish NJ
Z excuse for the sacrifice OF the interested OF
his employees either in their opportunity to
work or IN the deminntion Of their cornpon-
sntion. Nor can tine worker In mannfac-
lures fail to understand that while a high
tariff is claimed TO be necessary TO allow
the payment of remunerative yya:.ers It car
tainly resulted in very large increase in
, the price of nearly all sorts of mannfac-
lures which in almost COUNTLESS forms he
needs for the use of himself and his family.
He rccefyes at the desk of his employer his
wages, and perhaps before he reaches his
home is Obliged in purchase for family
use of an article which embraces his own
(. labor, TO return in the payment of the in
crease Ia prios which tbs tariff permits the
] hard carmel compensation OF m any days of
! toll.
The farmer and the agricuituralist. who
manufacture nothing but who pay tho In
creassi price which the tariff imposes. upon
every agricultural implement, upon all he
wears and upon all he uses and owns. en-
cept the increase OF his fiocks and herds. and
such things as IN his husbandry produces
from the soil is invited TO aid in main
tanning the present situation, and he is told
that high duty on imported wool Is neces-
sary for the benefit of those who have sheep
to shear, in order that the price of their
wool may be increased. They. of conrse
are not reminded that the farmer who has
no sheep is this scheme obliged, in his pur-
chasea of clothing and wooden goods to'pay
tribute to his fellow farmer as we'll as TO
the manufacturer and merchant; norris any
mention made of the fact that The shsep
owners themselves and their households
must wear clothing and use other articles
manufactured from ths wool They sell at
tariff prices aud thus as consumers must
return their share OF ShiJ increased price to
the tradsS-nan. - -
think it may be fairly assume that a
large proportion of tbs sheso OWE by tbs
farnsrs Throughout the country are found
in small fDckt NUMBERING fro n twsusy-ive
to fifty The duty on this grade of imported
wool watch these shsep Yell is ten cents
each ponni if OF thu value OF thirty csnts or
less, aud twelve cents if of the value of
more than thirty cents. II the liberal esti-
mate OF six pounds bo allowed for each
fleece, the duty thereon would be sixty or
| seventy-two cents. and this may b. taken
as the utmost enhancement of its prics to
the farmsr by reason of this duty Eight
cen dollars would thus represent this in
creased price of the wool from Twenty-Five
shesp an1 $35 that from the wool OF fifty
sheep; anil at present valust this a,Ilition
would amount to about ons-t hirl of its
price II upon lis sale ths farmer receives
this or a less tariff profit, tho wool leaves
his hands charSel with precisely thrs sum,
which in all its changes will aInsrs 70 it
until it reaches ths consumer. Wnsn nta-
ufacturel into cloth and other goc.Is and
material for use its cost Is not ouIy in
creased to the extent of the farmers tariff
profit. but a further sum has been added
for the bau,ht of the manufacturer uudsr
the operation of other tariff lava
In the meantime the day arrives when the
farmers find it necessary to purchase woolen
goods and material to clothe himself and
family for the winter. When he faces the
tfadesman for that purpose he discovers
that he is Obliged not only to return in the
way OF increased prices, his tariff profit on
the wool he sold, and which then perhaps
lies before him in manufactured form. bnt
that he must add a considerable sum thereto
to meet further increase in cost caused hv
tariff duty on the manufactures Thus In
the en- he is aroused to the fact that he has
paid upon moderate purchase, as result
of the tariff scheme, which, when he sold
his wool seemed so profitable, an increase
in price more than sufficient to sweep away
All Gne GarilI pronG ne received upon Cne
wool he producel and sold.
When the number OF farmers engaged in
wool raising is compared with the farmers
in the country, and the small proportion
they bear to our population is considered;
when it is made apparent that in ths case of
large part of those who own sheep, the
benefit of the present tariff on wool is
illusory; and, above all, when it must be
conceded that tho increase of tho cost of
a IN
den upon those with moderate means and
the poor, the employed and unemployed, the
sick and well, and the young and old, and
that it constitutes tax, which, with rsient-
loss grasp, is fastened upon the clothing of
every man, woman and child in the land,
reasons are suggested why the removal or
reduction of this duty should be included in
revision of our tariff laws.
In speaking Of the increased cost to tho
consumer OF our home manufactures, result
ing from duty laid upon imported articles
OF the Same description, tho fact is overlooked
That composition among our domestic pro-
ducers sometimes has the effect Of keeping
the price of their products bslow tho highest
limit allowed by such duty. But tits notori-
Gus TINT this competition is to often stran-
gled by combinations quite prevalent at this
time and frequently called trusts which have
Tor the object their regulation of the supply
and price OF commodities mnde and sold by
members OF the combination. The people
can hardly hops for any consideration in the
operation of these selfish schemes
il, however, in the aba OF such combine
tion, q healthy and free competition reduces
the price OF any particular dutiable article
OF home production below the limit which
1t might otherwise reach under our tariff
laws, and If, with such reduced price its
manufacture continues to thrive, it is en-
tirely evident that one thing has been dis
covered which should bs carefully scruti-
nized in an effort to reduce taxation. The
necessity of combination to maintain the
price of any commodity to the tariff point
furnishes proof that some one is. willing to
accept lower prices for such commodity and
that such prices are rsmunerat1ve, and
lower prices produced by competition prove
the same thing. Thus whore either of these
conditions exist, case would seem to be
presented for an easy reduction of taxation.
The considerations which have been pro-
senied touching our tariff laws are intended
only TO enforce an earnest recommendation
thas the surplus revenues of the government
be prevented by the deduction or our GUS
tom duties, and, at the same time, to en-
phasize suggestion that in accomplishing
this purpose We may discharge a double
duty to our people, by granting to them a
measure of relief from tariff taxation in
quarters where it is most needed, and from
sources where it can be most fairly and
justly accorded Nor can the presentation
made of such considerations with any de-
gree of fairness, be regarded as evidence of